Uncoupling mechanism



-l. H. MILLIKEN AND W. J. REGAN.

UNCOUPLINGMECHANISM.

-APPLICATION FILED ocr. e, 1921.

Patented May 3o, 19.22.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Matta nu l. H. MILLIKE'N AND W. l. REGAN.

uNcouPuNG MECHANISM.

ARPLICATION FILED OCT. 6. 192|.

1,417,546. v Patented May 30, 1922',

, I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

sare `ammini oFFi-c- ISAAC H.` MILLIKEN, OF ASPINWALL, AND WILLAM J. RG'AN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE MCCON'WAY & TOR/LEY COMPANY, OF

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

To all whom z5 may concern:-

Be it `known that we, ISAAC H. MILLIKEN and WILLIAM J. REGAN, citizens of the United States, residingy respectively at Aspinwall, in the county of Allegheny and btate of Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh, in

the county of Allegheny and State of Pennfler to cause it to perform an unlocking operation. While the invention is intended toprovide means well suited for use withthe Master Car' Builders standard D-type coupler, it is to be understood that mechanism embodying the invention may be applied to other types of couplers as well.

The principal object of the inventionis to provide an easily operatedv uncoupling mechanism consisting of a "few simple and compactly 'arranged parts which may be readily assembled and disassociated and which when in assembled relation are interloclin'gly connected. 7

The primary eatureof the invention, generally stated, consists in actuating the lock of 'a car coupler by meansl of ,arotatable member supported rearwardly of said lock `by pivotally Vconnected'members one ofwhich is provided with spaced antifi'iction rollers Abetween which the rotatable member eX- tends, the member bearing the rollersbeing adapted to V,Cause the rotatable member to perform an `unlocking movement. V

A' further feature of the invention consists iii actuating the lock `ot a cai' coupler by a rotatablejmember ,which is supported rearwardly of 'the said lock by pivotally 'connected members one of which'is adapted to have a swiveling movement with respect'to the car. f Y.

There are other Jeatures of invention, residing in' particular combinations of parts and in details ofelemental construction, as

^ will hereinafter appear.

Inthe drawings illustrating the preferred Specification of Letters Patent;

,coupler carrier'l ironl and 'the UNCOUPLING MECHANISM.

embodiment of the invention, the lscope' whereof is pointed out in the claimsi Figure l is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of an uncoup'- Patented May 30, 1,922.

Application led October 6, 1921. Serial No. 505,693. l l

ling mechanism embodying the invention,

-the coupler shown being the well known Master Car Builders standard D-type. Figure 2 is a view, 'partlyn side elevation 'and partly-in vertical section, of a portionof the construction shown in Fig. 1, the parts being in the positions they yoccupy when the coupler lock has performed an extendedunlocking movement. 'i 'f "g j Figure 3y -s a detail sectional view on the line 3-3, Fig. 1,'portions of the coupler,"the

levers being broken away.

Figure 4L is a detail sectionalview on the line 4-4, Fig. l, portions of the uncoiipling levers being broken away. v y

Thecoupler `l is of the Master Car Builders D-type. n ed` in the usual manner to a `link 3 which projects downwardly througlithe lower side of the coupler head and 'is pivotally 'attached to a lock lift lever 4 that is'itself pivotally connected toA the" under side of the v coupler. The llink and pivotedl'ift lever't uncoupling Its lock?, is movably connectare as shown inthe 'drawinO's referabl constructed and arranged inaccordance with the standard practice of bottom lock lift vdevices ofthe D-typecoupler. 'It the coupev ler isdesigned` to rhave an extendedrange vof lateral swinging movement it may be'formed near the rear end of its shank with a pivot Operatively connected to y'the 'coupler lock 'pin opening for receiving a tailv pin` (not` Shown) whereby it may be pivotally con-. nected tothe 'draftrigging ina well known 2' through the swinginglift lever @and Vlink 3 'is a verticallyrotatable' member 6 which is rsupported rearwardly of saidy lock by a swinging member 7 having journaled' thereon a plurality of spaced "antifriction rollers v S between' which thefsaid member 6 extends.

rThe rotatable member 6 normally rests upon the lower one of the rollers, both of which are 'Y adapted to f engage the. saidmember 6 to cause an unlocking'rotation ythereof when Athe trainman actuates themechanismftounlock the'coupler. `:Bythe use of the anti- .ofthe car and preferably are of the well known form illustrated in the I. H. Milliken 'Patent No. 1,184,116, datedMay 23, 1916.

friction devices the rotatable member 6 may readily movelengthwise of the car not'only during draft and bufling movements of the coupler but also as may be necessary to accommodate the member 6 to the pivotal movement of the lock lift lever The rollers 8 may conveniently be journaled between the sides 9 of the swinging support 7 by means of rivets 10. -The member 6 is preferably formed at its forward end with a hook 11 adapted to cooperate with the vusual service.

eye 12 at the rear end of the lift lever. 4, such hook and eye connection resulting in causing the members 4 and 6 to be` interlockingly connected in a manner preventingvtheii accidental disassociation when the device is in I. The member 7 carrying the rollers 8 is movably suspended from the coupler carrier iron 13 through the intervention of a mein-. ber 14 having a swiveling connection with the coupler carrier iron, the connection between the members 7 and 14 being a pivotal oner permitting the former to swing lengthwise of the car. A fconvenient inode ofy constructing the member 14 is to fashion its lower end with a hook 15 adapted to pass through an eye 16, ontlie carrier iron and to cooperate with a pivot bar 17 formed on said swinging member 7. The upper end of the member 14 may be'convenientlyformed ',with a coned head 1S which is of such size that it will not pass through the opening of @rotatable member '6, sincey the swiv'eling movement is ample to permit the'member 6 to conform in angular position to all lateral yswinging movements of the coupler 1.

The member 7 is adapted to be swung Aor rotated upon the hook 15 to effect an unlocking rotation of the member 6 by means of a plurality of uncoupling` levers 19 -whose upwardly extending innerends 2O are rec spectively adapted to be received in laterally opening pockets or recesses 21 with `which the'swinging member 7 is provided on opposite sides of the rotatable member `6. For

convenience of coring the recesses 21 may valso be open at their upper ends. The uncoupling levers 19` extend towards the sides In assembling the mechanismthe hook 15 of theiswiveling ymember 14 isv first threaded As the through the eye 16 of the carrier iron and brought to its ordinary position. The swinging actuating member 7 bearing the antifriction rollers is then operatively associated with the hook of the swiveling member 14 and the rear end of the vertically rotatable member 6 is slid between the rollers 8. The hook 11 at the forward end of the member 6 is then hooked through the eye 12 of the lock lift lever 4, which latter is temporarily disconnected from the coupler head to permit this to be done, after which the inner ends 20 of the uncoupling levers 19 are inserted in their respective recesses 21 ofthe swinging actuating member 7 and the outer ends of said levers are movably supported on brackets at the sides of the car in the usual way. As thus assembled the several parts of 'themechanism are interlocked so that they may not become accidentally disassociated, it being necessary to withdraw the member 6 from the swinging member 7 before the latter may-be removed `from the hook 15 of the swiveling Vmember 14.

Nhen the trainman properly operates either of the uncoupling levers 19` itsupwardly extending inner end 2O presses rear- `wardly against the adjacent' back wall of the member 7 causing its rollers 8 to engage opposite sides of the member 6 and induce an upward rotation of the latter, thus actuating the lock lift lever 4 and link 3 and .causing the coupler lock to perform an unlocking movement.

fe claim 1. In an uncoup'lingvinechanism, the combination with a car coupler and its lock,

of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving a swinging member provided with a plurality of spaced anti-friction rollers, means for movably supporting said swinging member, a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock means for actuating said swinging member to cause said rotatable member to perform an unlocking movement.

2. in an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler and its lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving `a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock and extending rearwardly therefrom, pivotv`ally connected members constituting means for supportingsaid rotatable member rear- .wardly of said lock, one of said pivotally connected members being provided with Vspaced anti-friction rollers between which said rotatable member extends, and. means for actuating said member which is provided with said anti-friction rollers. n

3. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler and its lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving a rotatable ,and extending between said rollers, andv member operatively connected to said lock and extending rearwardly therefrom, an uncoupling lever, and means lfor supporting said rotatable member rearwardly of said lock, said last named means being adapted to actuate said rotatable member and including an anti-friction roller engaging said rotatable member and forming a support for one end of said uncoupling lever.

4. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler and its lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock and extending rearwardly therefrom, pivotally connected members constituting means for supporting said rotatable member rearwardly of said lock, one of said pivotally connected members being adapted to have a swiveling movement Lwith respect tothe car and one of said pivotally connected members being adapted to actuate said rotatable member, and an uncoupling lever for actuating said pivotally connected member last named.

5. In an uiicoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler and its lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock and extending rearwardly therefrom, pivotally connected members constituting means for supporting 'said rotatable member rearwardly of said lock, one of said pivotally connected members being adapted to have a swiveling movement with respect to the car and oiie of said pivotally connect-ed members beingr provided with a plurality of spaced anti-friction rollers between which said rotatable member extends and by which the latter is engaged, and means for actuating said pivotally connected member last named to cause said rotatable member to perform an unlocking movement.

6. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler, its llock and carrier iron, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving a rotatable member operatively connected to Said lock and extending rearwardly therefrom, pivotally connectedk members constituting means -itor supporting said rotatable member rearwardly of said lock, and an uncoupling lever for actuating one of saidl pivotally connected members to effect an unlocking movement of said rotatable membei', said pivotally connected members having a hook and eye connection, and one of said pivotally connected members having a head whereby it is swivelingly connected to said carrier iron.

7. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler, its lock and carrier iron, oic means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving a member swingingly connected to saidcoupler, va link operatively interposed between said swinging member and said lock, a rotatable member, pivotally connected members constituting means for supporting said rotatable member rearwardly of said.

lock, and an iincoupling lever for 1 actuating one/or said'pivotally connected members to cause said rotatable member to perform an unlocking movement, one of said pivotally connected members being interlockingly connected to said carrier iron.

8. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler and its lock, of means vfor moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock, a plurality of pivotally connectedmembers constituting means for supporting said ro- Itatablemember rearwardly of said lock, and

a plurality of uncoupling levers each of which is adapted to actuate one of said pivotally connected members to cause said rotatable member to perform an unlocking movement, said last named one of the pivotally connected members being provided with spaced recesses disposed on opposite sides' of said rotatable member and into which the position, said means involving a member swingingly connected to said coupler, a link movably connecting said swinging member to said lock, a vertically rotatable member ymovably connected to said swinging member, a plurality of pivotally connected members movablyconnected to the carand constituting means `lor supporting said rotatable member rearwardly of said lock, one of said pivotally connected 'members being provided with spaced anti-friction rollers between which said rotatable member extends,

and means for actuating the said member provided with rollers to cause said rotatable member to perform an unlocking movement.

10. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler, its lock and carrier iron, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving a member swingingly connected to said coupler, a link operatively connecting said swinging member to said lock, a rotatable member` movably connected to "said swinging member, movably connected members constituting means for supporting said rotatable member rearwardly of said lock, and means for actuating one of saidmovably connected members to cause said rotatablev member to perform an unlocking movement, one of said movably connected members being attached to said carrier iron through means permitting it to have a universal rotary movement with respect to the car.

l1. In an uncoupling mechanism, the 'com- .bination With a car coupler and its lock, 0i means for moving said loc-k to unlocked positiornsaiclf means involyinga rotatable member operatively connected to said lock,

l and a plurality of movably connected memporting said rotatable member rearwardly tures. bers movable with respect to the car for sup- .assembled position operating to retain salti le movably connected .members yin assembled relation.

In testimony whereof We a'hx our signa- ISAAC H. MILLIKEN. WILLIAM J. REGAN. 

